Filipinos urged to reduce dependence on rice

MANILA, Philippines—Filipinos should help the government attain its goal of becoming self-sufficient in rice by eating only the right amount of the staple, leaving no leftovers, and diversifying their carbohydrate sources, according to the country’s rice officials.

By reducing dependence on rice, Filipinos will ease pressure on the staple that the country continues to import, scientists at the Philippine Rice Research Institute (Philrice) said as they kicked off celebrations on Friday of National Rice Awareness Month.

The Philippines, at one time the world’s largest rice importer, aims to be self-sufficient in the grain by 2013. The Department of Agriculture is this year aiming at harvesting 17.3 million metric tons of rice.

Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala said the government is eyeing the purchase of not more than 500,000 MT for 2012, less than the 860,000 MT and the 2.4 million MT imported in 2011 and 2010, respectively.

Officials said Filipinos depend on rice because it is a cheap source of carbohydrates that provides them with energy for their daily activities.

An average Filipino currently consumes 119 kilograms of rice per year. Those in lower-income households eat more rice than the middle- and the upper-income groups, whose diets are more varied.

According to Philrice executive director Eufemio Rasco Jr., poor families spend as much as 40 percent of their income on rice. He said these families could save money if they eat other carbohydrate sources like camote (sweet potatoes) and bananas once in a while.

He also noted that many Filipinos still do not know how to cook rice properly, leading to wastage. They also have the habit of not finishing all the rice they put on their plates.

“Many of them seem to be ashamed of cleaning up their plates. This culture has to change,” Rasco said at a press briefing on Friday.

According to a study by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute, a Filipino wastes an average three tablespoons of rice each day, which costs at least P23 million everyday.

White corn, cassava, sweet potato, corn and banana can be used as alternatives to rice, said Philrice socioeconomist Flordeliza Bordey.

She noted that countries like Japan and China are rice-sufficient despite having small rice harvests per capita because of their citizens’ diversified diets.

A diversified carbohdyrates diet is also healthier, said Philrice chemist Joy Bartolome Duldulao. Camote has more fiber and complex carbohydrates than rice, she noted.

“Half of the typical Filipino plate contains rice despite recommendations to eat more of fruits and vegetables. New dietary guidelines recommend that fruits and vegetables should occupy half of our plates and about 1/4 by grains,” Duldulao said.

Agriculture officials said the use of other carbohydrates sources like tubers and corn is hardly new. Corn grits is a common staple in northern Luzon, and cassava in southern Mindanao.